techno-bureaucratism
A rigid, oppressive administrative system criticized by characters as stifling individual freedom and mobility.
2 chapters across 1 book
Vagabonds (2020)Hao Jingfang
In this chapter, Chania, a skeptical and guarded character, engages in a cautious conversation with Rudy, who expresses support for a movement against techno-bureaucratism and advocates for freedom of housing and atelier affiliations. The dialogue explores contrasting views on love, trust, and freedom, revealing Chania's distrust of emotional sincerity and Rudy's potential as an ally despite ambiguous motives. The chapter ends with Chania and Luoying attempting to register housing on behalf of a friend, highlighting bureaucratic obstacles and the theme of systemic rigidity.
On Reini's thirty-third birthday, Luoying visits him at the Registry of Files to wish him well and discuss efforts to find him a new atelier despite his frozen file status. They debate the rigidity of the Martian Republic's bureaucratic system, its impact on individual freedom, and the possibility of revolutionary change. Reini reflects on the trade-offs between stability and freedom in society, using metaphors of solid and liquid systems, and the crystal-like structure of Martian life.